A new species of Hortipes (Araneae, Corinnidae), the first spider with an insertable retrolateral tibial apophysis on the male palp

Hortipes gigapophysalis (Araneae, Corinnidae) is a new species described from both sexes from montane forest on Mt Nimba, eastern Guinea. The species is remarkable for its long, whip-shaped retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) on the male palp. The structure apparently has an insertable function as the epigyne of the female contains a separate set of ducts starting from a central concavity that is unique in the genus. This duct system is apparently meant to receive the supple RTA. This type of structural arrangement has never previously been found in spiders

Sechelleptus arborivagus Sp. Nov., a new arboreal spirostreptid millipede (diplopoda, spirostreptidae) endemic to Mayotte island (comoros archipelago), Indian Ocean

peer reviewedA new millipede species of the genus Sechelleptus Mauriès, 1980 is described and illustrated from Mayotte Island, Indian Ocean. This new species, S. arborivagus sp. nov., found on trees, looks particularly similar to the sympatric S. variabilis VandenSpiegel & Golovatch, 2007, but is much larger and has a very different ecological behavior. Phylogenetic analyses based on a concatenated dataset of the COI and 16S rRNA genes and including nine species of Spirostreptidae (including Sechelleptus, Doratogonus Attems, 1914, Bicoxidens Attems, 1928 and Spirostreptus Brandt, 1833), strongly support the monophyly of Sechelleptus. Despite the similarity of their genitalia, the molecular analyses also reveal a clear-cut genetic divergence between S. arborivagus sp. nov. and S. variabilis (22.55% for COI and 6.63% for 16SrRNA) and further suggest the presence of a higher diversity within the genus Sechelleptus on Mayotte

Sechelleptus arborivagus Sp. Nov., a new arboreal spirostreptid millipede (diplopoda, spirostreptidae) endemic to Mayotte island (comoros archipelago), Indian Ocean

peer reviewedA new millipede species of the genus Sechelleptus Mauriès, 1980 is described and illustrated from Mayotte Island, Indian Ocean. This new species, S. arborivagus sp. nov., found on trees, looks particularly similar to the sympatric S. variabilis VandenSpiegel & Golovatch, 2007, but is much larger and has a very different ecological behavior. Phylogenetic analyses based on a concatenated dataset of the COI and 16S rRNA genes and including nine species of Spirostreptidae (including Sechelleptus, Doratogonus Attems, 1914, Bicoxidens Attems, 1928 and Spirostreptus Brandt, 1833), strongly support the monophyly of Sechelleptus. Despite the similarity of their genitalia, the molecular analyses also reveal a clear-cut genetic divergence between S. arborivagus sp. nov. and S. variabilis (22.55% for COI and 6.63% for 16SrRNA) and further suggest the presence of a higher diversity within the genus Sechelleptus on Mayotte

Luciobarbus lanigarensis et L. numidiensis, deux nouvelles espèces de barbeaux dans la bassin de la Méditerranée de l'Afrique du nord (Teostei: Cyprinidae)

peer reviewedTwo new species of Luciobarbus are described from the Mediterranean Sea basin in Morocco and Algeria. Their monophyly and phylogenetic placement are resolved by molecular analyses using two mitochondrial markers (cyt b and Dloop). Luciobarbus lanigarensis, new species, from the Tafna River drainage in Algeria and Morocco, is distinguished by having orange fins, a great predorsal length (52–59% SL) and a very long pectoral fin (79–90% HL). Luciobarbus numidiensis, new species, from the El-Kébir River drainage in Algeria, is distinguished by having a golden pectoral-fin margin, 43–47+1–3 lateral line scales and a very long anal-fin (19–23%)

Luciobarbus chelifensis and L. mascarensis, two new species from Algeria (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

peer reviewedCyprinids of the genus Luciobarbus are the most abundant and widespread fishes in most freshwater ecosystems in the Maghreb. In the Mediterranean basin of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, all species of Luciobarbus—with exception of L. guercifensis—are superficially very similar and are distinguished mostly by minor morphometric characters. Molecular characters distinguish all species well and nine species are recognised from the area, two of them described here. Luciobarbus chelifensis, from the Chelif River drainage in Algeria, is distinguished by having 41–43+1–2 lateral line scales and a very short anal fin (18–19% SL). Luciobarbus mascarensis, from the Macta River drainage in Algeria, is distinguished by having usually 41+1–2 lateral line scales, a long anal-fin (19–22%) and a short caudal peduncle (15–17% SL). An identification key is given for all African Mediterranean Luciobarbus species except for L. callensis and L. rifensis, which could not be distinguished

An introductory study of house spiders (Araneae) in Belgium

More than 800 spiders were collected in 43 houses heated in winter, distributed mainly in the northern part of Belgium. Information required for the collections to be eligible for the project was: address, construction year, type of house, and surroundings. The spiders were qualified as ‘house spiders’ or ‘garden spiders’. Of the 93 species collected, 19 could be defined as house spiders. Pholcus phalangioides was the most common, followed by Eratigena atrica and Steatoda triangulosa. Garden spiders enter the house much more often in houses in a rural environment than in those situated in clusters, and mainly in spring. The spiders are most common in autumn when many of them are breeding. The common house spiders colonize houses shortly after their construction

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Systematics and phylogeny of the ant eating spiders (Araneae ; Zodariidae) : a total evidence analysis

This PhD thesis mainly aims at the systematic revision of the ant-eating spiders (Zodariidae) using a combined phylogenetic approach. Initially, taxonomic description of several new zodariid taxa was carried out to document significant structures that had not been observed in spiders so far. As a result, a novel zodariid synapomorphy was discovered while describing the new genus Palindroma and a double femoral gland was revealed in the new genera Suffrica and Suffascar. Ultimately, a phylogenetic study on a global scale was undertaken, based on the largest taxonomic sample of Zodariidae analyzed to date. The character matrix comprised 153 morphological features spread over 11 structural groups and the molecular data included 5 genetic markers (1 mitochondrial and 4 nuclear markers). Different phylogenetic analyses were performed based on morphological, genetic and combined datasets. The results revealed 5 groups corresponding to 5 sub-families. As predicted, the Cyriocteinae appear sister to all other Zodariidae. The Lachesaninae, Cryptothelinae and the Zodariinae were redefined. The Storenomorphinae appeared paraphyletic in the molecular and combined analyses and fell into the Cryptothelinae. As a consequence, Storenomorphinae were fused into the Cryptothelinae. The Storeninae were re-established and redefined. Procydrela procursor could not be assigned to any subfamily and it may be considered to put it in a group of its own.(SC - Sciences) -- UCL, 201

Systematics and phylogeny of the ant eating spiders (Araneae ; Zodariidae) : a total evidence analysis

This PhD thesis mainly aims at the systematic revision of the ant-eating spiders (Zodariidae) using a combined phylogenetic approach. Initially, taxonomic description of several new zodariid taxa was carried out to document significant structures that had not been observed in spiders so far. As a result, a novel zodariid synapomorphy was discovered while describing the new genus Palindroma and a double femoral gland was revealed in the new genera Suffrica and Suffascar. Ultimately, a phylogenetic study on a global scale was undertaken, based on the largest taxonomic sample of Zodariidae analyzed to date. The character matrix comprised 153 morphological features spread over 11 structural groups and the molecular data included 5 genetic markers (1 mitochondrial and 4 nuclear markers). Different phylogenetic analyses were performed based on morphological, genetic and combined datasets. The results revealed 5 groups corresponding to 5 sub-families. As predicted, the Cyriocteinae appear sister to all other Zodariidae. The Lachesaninae, Cryptothelinae and the Zodariinae were redefined. The Storenomorphinae appeared paraphyletic in the molecular and combined analyses and fell into the Cryptothelinae. As a consequence, Storenomorphinae were fused into the Cryptothelinae. The Storeninae were re-established and redefined. Procydrela procursor could not be assigned to any subfamily and it may be considered to put it in a group of its own.(SC - Sciences) -- UCL, 201